Old Dominion Freight Line Opens Facility in North Carolina
Old Dominion Freight Line opened its newest service center May 12 in Kings Mountain, North Carolina.
The 61-door facility is one of nine located in North Carolina, and is Old Dominion’s 226th service center.
The process to open the Kings Mountain center started about a year and a half ago when Old Dominion purchased the 10-acre facility, located at 604 Innovation Drive. The company then got the necessary permits and began to remodel the facility about eight months ago.
According to Old Dominion President Greg Gantt, the center does not expand the company’s coverage area but became necessary due to the rapid growth of the Charlotte market. Gantt said the facility will allow the company to expand operations and better serve customers.
“We can respond quicker,” Gantt said. “Our miles between stops are less. This should be a good move for us.”
Old Dominion ranks No. 11 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.
The Kings Mountain center will service areas that previously were covered by Old Dominion’s Charlotte and Hickory centers. The plant's coverage area includes Shelby, Gastonia, Forest City, Rutherfordton, along with Gaffney and Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Kings Mountain’s proximity to Interstate 85 made the city the perfect location to better serve customers in the area, according to Gerry Broadwell, Old Dominion’s regional vice president of the Gulf states.
Most of the current staff at the Kings Mountain center were transferred from Old Dominion’s other locations. Gantt and Broadwell hope to create new jobs at Old Dominion in Kings Mountain as the company begins to expand in the area with help from the new center.
“The location has a great workforce, and the city and area will play a significant role in our expansion of what we do,” Broadwell said.
City officials in Kings Mountain attended the company’s ribbon-cutting ceremony May 12. Mayor Scott Neisler welcomed Old Dominion, telling officials that Kings Mountain is a "close-knit community that would always be there to have the company’s back."
“The trucking industry is a big industry in our area because of our location,” Neisler said. “We appreciate your investment in Kings Mountain and being part of the community.”
